This invention relates to skid steer loader vehicles and more particularly to side dump buckets for dumping material to the side of a loader. Buckets of the kind attached at the front of a skid steer loader vehicle generally have a dumping mechanism which provides for tilting the bucket forwardly. In many working situations, it may be undesirable or impossible to maneuver the vehicle into a position for forward dumping. As a result, side dump buckets have been developed to facilitate the unloading of material to one side of the loader vehicle.
Side dump buckets presently available generally require roll back of the loader frames for use. Such roll back is impractical with skid steer loaders due to their relatively small size. Moreover, side dump buckets of the prior art tend to move, at least to some degree, outward from the front of the vehicle rather than directly upward from the side of the vehicle.
The disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by utilizing a side dumping loader comprising a dump bucket, a cradle for supporting said bucket, a pintle serving as a point of attachment between said cradle and said dump bucket, a hydraulic assembly comprising a cylinder portion and rod portion, wherein said cylinder portion is attached to said cradle and said rod portion is attached to said dump bucket, wherein the rod portion, when extended, causes said dump bucket to rotate at said pintle, from a horizontal position to a sloped position. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following drawings and detailed description.